The world is on the move—the spread of the Internet, the widespread development of infrastructure, the prevalence of mobile devices and the rise of the app economy have contributed a new state of the art: one that is mobile. People can now carry vast amounts of information in their hands, keeping them connected even when they are mobile.
The convergence point for this new age of technology is the mobile device, be it a feature phone, smartphone or wirelessly connected or 3G-enabled tablet.
The attraction of mobile devices is the very human desire to interact with other people. They want to stay connected to their friends and family through integrated mobile social networks and communities.
This need for connection will provide the “sticky” factor that mobile network operators (MNOs) and service providers are looking for.
Social gaming
Based on a study conducted by eMarketer, the social gaming industry will soon witness a reversal in trend by next year. It is estimated that the mobile social gaming industry will increase to about 22 million users by 2013. Social gaming, for one, is fast becoming a reason for users to connect online with friends on their mobile phone. According to Nielsen’s “Social Media Report for Q3 2011,” almost 40 percent of social media users access social media content from their mobile phone. Also, according to a research firm, the number of people who access social networks on smartphones and other mobile devices will surpass 1.7 billion worldwide by the end of 2016, reporting a triple growth from 550 million in 2011.
The rise in mobile social networking gives MNOs the opportunity to expand their revenue stream with enhanced mobile service offerings and ultimately, expanding user base and market share.
Operators who do not notice this trend run the risk of not being able to cope with the increased demand, or even worse, not having the right offerings on hand to meet consumers’ needs. Using the right technology platform, MNOs can set themselves up for ongoing success and profitability.
The real challenge for MNOs will be to stay at the forefront of innovation, while maintaining profitability. Taking a page from the growth of the mobile Internet, which is expected to supersede desktop Internet usage by 2014, MNOs must capitalize on the human factor as the one thing that always keeps people coming back. Being able to stay in touch with and connect to one’s friends and family is a very compelling and very basic need.
MNOs stand to benefit from making this connection as effortless as possible, by developing their own localized mobile social platform. This allows clear brand identification, service customization according to customers’ needs, deployment of the latest games and applications, as well as creating a mobile community.
Unifying services
For instance, an operator who had just recently launched its services in the Middle East required a platform to unify popular social networking services for its subscriber base in a country with a population of 1.5 million. Since it was new, it had to prove to the market that it was as credible and dependable as incumbents, and also promised to deliver excellent service to its customers.
The operator launched Mozat’s mobile social platform and through this technology, the telco operator was able to offer a unified platform for communications and gaming. Within six months, the operator saw an increase in usage rate, reporting an average online time of four hours per day on the service. Users also increased sending messages and competing with friends on games, generating increased revenue for the operator.
Next wave
Telco operators need to be prepared to ride the next wave of mobile service offerings. Finding and identifying the right elements to attract and retain customers is key, and MNOs that offer next-generation communication services on all platforms and the first to attract the critical mass of subscription to mobile services will succeed. Creating localized mobile social platforms will be the next wave for MNOs, in order to build a loyal, sticky mobile community that remains engaged through seamless communication, mobile gaming and social sharing.
(The author is chief executive officer of Mozat Pte Ltd.)